Instagram Adds Video, Video Filters and Cinema Mode

Instagram users now have an option of capturing everyday moments in photo or video. The Facebook-owned company today unveiled a video app which can capture three to 15 seconds of video, and users can customize the footage with unique filters.

The 13 filters range from black-and-white to filters that can brighten or blur the videos. The app allows users to add filters during video playback and switch between the filters before selecting and sharing the video. Users can also select a frame for the video, which will be the cover or photo that appears in the stream.

“We talk about Instagram as capturing and sharing the world’s moments. It’s not just about photography,” Instagram founder Kevin Systrom told Nightline. “There are a ton of moments in the world that can’t be captured in single images.”

They have also added Cinema Mode, a cinematic stabilization technology. “We took a technology that stabilizes video and makes it smooth and beautiful, like it was shot with a cinematic camera,” said Systrom. “The cool thing about Instagram in the beginning is how it let everyday people take beautiful photographs. We put the power  of a photography studio in your hand. We’ve done the same for video, so now you can take beautiful video and share it with the world.”

When video posts appear in the Instagram feed, the videos will begin to play automatically, but only when users stop scrolling. The auto play feature can also be disabled in the settings. All videos will play back with sound.

Initially, Cinema Mode will only be available for iPhone users.

In January, Twitter released the Vine video app, and it quickly became a popular app in the Apple store. Vine records six-second videos.

A snippet of Instagram’s new video capability.